FARMINGTON – The case against Stephanie Sloop continues to drag on, while the accused has yet to make a plea.

Stephanie Sloop appeared in Farmington’s 2nd District Court on Thursday for a status hearing with her attorney Mary Corporon.

Stephanie did not make a plea, and Judge Thomas Kay set a preliminary hearing for Nov. 17 through 19. A separate status hearing was also scheduled for September 4.

Thursday’s hearing was set on May 22, when Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings also appeared in court, and told Kay that the prosecution is ready to go.

On Thursday, Rawlings told the Clipper, “We were before the judge for a few minutes just to set those dates; that's all that happened.”

“There has been legitimate strategic reasons why Stephanie’s defense counsel wanted to wait for Nathan's case be resolved,” he said. “We can understand why the defense has wanted to take the time they've taken to represent their client. We've been ready for a long time but we respect the defense’s position in doing their due diligence.”

In February, Corporon filed a motion to obtain evidence from Nathan Sloop’s attorneys.

Stephanie and Nathanael Sloop were both charged with capital murder in the death of Stephanie’s 4-year-old son Ethan Stacy in May of 2010.

The case against Nathanael Sloop wrapped up on Tuesday, Feb. 4, with his plea of guilty but mentally ill. He was given a sentence of 25-years-to-life in the death of his stepson.

Ethan died just days after arriving in Utah from Virginia to spend the summer with his biological mother and Nathanael Sloop, who was Stephanie’s fiancé at the time.

During the time Ethan spent with the pair, prosecutors said he was scalded, beaten and overmedicated and that medical care was withheld.

Investigators say the Sloops left Ethan locked in a bedroom while they slipped away to get married on May 6, 2010.

Nathaneal Sloop’s lawyers have contended Ethan died from dehydration caused by overmedication.

Nathan and Stephanie contacted police on the morning of May 11, suggesting that Ethan had wandered off, prompting a search of the surrounding area.

After repeated questioning, police say the Sloops confessed that Ethan had died, and led investigators to a shallow grave near Powder Mountain.